Jurassic Trail Letterbox Series (2)
Ramapo State Forest
Placed 06/02/02 by Wingfoot
Oakland, Bergen County, New Jersey

Hunt this box at your own risk.

Clues: Somewhat Easy
Terrain: Challenging
Time: 2 hours

This is a dinosaur themed series. I plan to expand this series in the
northern section of this park in the not too distant future. Also, there are
other letterboxes in this area that this series can be combined with for a
longer hike.

Directions:
Route 287 to Skyline Drive, exit 57. Shortly up Skyline drive on the left is
the parking lot for the Ramapo Mountain State Forest.

The centerpiece of Ramapo Mountain State Forest is Ramapo Lake, which was
formerly known as Rotten Pond by the early Dutch settlers. Take your time
and enjoy the many viewpoints these trails provide.

TRICERATOPS LETTERBOX

Take the blue trail at the south end of the parking lot. When you arrive at
Ramapo Lake go over the bridge. Shortly down the fire road the red trail
begins on the left. Take red trail. Pay careful attention to the blazes.
After a climb, the trail makes a winding turn, continue to follow trail to
the next set of blazes. There will be a single red painted blaze next
another tree with a nailed on round red blaze. Turn around and go back down
trail 12 paces to an unblazed tree. From the unblazed tree go 50 paces at
225 degrees to the end of a rock formation. From that vantage point you
should be able to see Pompton Lake. From there go 25 paces at 140 degrees.
Note there is a 4-foot drop off along these 25 paces, be careful. Behind a
small tree there is a natural rock cavity with a square shoebox size rock
covering the opening. Within the cavity is what you are searching for. Use
a stick, just in case. Replace rock after stamping in.

PTERODACTYL LETTERBOX

Now continue along red trail the way you didn't come. When trail meets up
with yellow trail, take the yellow trail, not the merged red-yellow trail.
Again pay careful attention to the blazes, as there are some tricky areas
along this trail. Trail merges with fire road; continue to follow it until
trail restarts on left up the fire road. You'll come to a large glacial
erratic. There will be a blazed tree to the left of the rock. From blazed
tree continue going down trail 53 paces. On left of trail will be two
boulders. Behind the left one, behind a rock is what you are searching for.
Use a stick, just in case. Replace rock after stamping in.

There are several ways to get back to the parking lot. I recommend going
back to the fire road, taking it the way you didn't come. When fire road
forks, take right fork and enjoy the walk along Ramapo Lake back to the
bridge and then the blue trail.

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